>~ 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDINC 


BY 
W.  R.  EASTMAN 


PREPRINT  OF 
MANUAL  OP  LIBRARY  E 
CHAPTER  X 


EDITION  2,  REVISED 


American  likarp 

7S  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO 
1918 


"  Miss  BA< 


Department,"  DR. 


V  •  .  .    *h  Cl     ire: 

*:"    ;.  •-•  :  *": '- ",    *  ;-  ,  ': 


j 


__  UBRABt 

X  SCHOOl 

THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING 

W.  R.  EASTMAN 
New  York  State  Library  School 

Object  Departments 
Location  Book  room 

Economy  Reading-rooms 

Plans  Delivery  room 

General  conditions  Administration 

Books  Assembly  hall 

Required  capacity  Public  conveniences 

Shelf  Light 

Size  Heat 

Material  Stairs 

Pattern  Shape  of  building 
Capacity  Square 

Arrangement  of  cases  Oblong 

Wall  cases  Trefoil 

Alcoves  T-form 

Stack  Hollow  square 

Public  access  Preparing  for  the  architect 

Radial  lines  Bibliography 
Open  shelf  room 

In  the  inception  and  progress  of  a  library  enterprise  the 
provision  of  a  building  may  properly  be  left  for  the  last  step. 
It  is  not  the  foundation  but  the  crown  of  the  enterprise,  giving 
to  it  outward  expression  and  permanence. 

OBJECT 

The  first  object  to  be  secured  by  such  a  building  is  to  furnish 
a  place  in  which  the  books  of  a  given  library  may  be  kept  with 
all  needed  facilities  for  their  ready  and  convenient  use.  It  must 


oooi 


2  MANUAL  .QF;  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

therefore  b?  designed;  a-n'd;lyuil£  to  m'eet  conditions  already  exist- 
ing, or  at  least  'clearTy  determined;  •'  A  secondary  object  is  to 
impress  the  eye  and  to  offer  attractions  to  the  visitor.  Many 
library  buildings  are  also  memorial  in  their  purpose. 

LOCATION 

A  library  should  be  reasonably  accessible  to  the  body  of  its 
patrons.  It  belongs,  however,  with  the  residential  rather  than 
with  the  business  section  of  a  city.  Its  location  should  have 
regard  for  the  poor  as  well  as  for  the  rich,  for  the  young  as  well 
as  for  the  old.  It  should  be  a  little  apart  from  the  noise  of  the 
main  street  in  a  quieter  place  where  land  costs  less  and  a  broader 
lot  can  be  secured.  This  last  consideration  is  important  because 
a  library  needs  space  within  the  building  for  good  rooms  on  both 
sides  and  needs  still  more  space  outside  the  building  to  allow 
for  ample  side  light.  A  broad  front  should  be  secured  if  possible. 

A  corner  lot  has  advantages  in  well-lighted  rooms. 

A  sharp-cornered,  "flatiron"  lot  can  sometimes  be  used  to 
good  purpose  if  there  is  ample  open  space  around  the  building. 
Each  one  will  require  a  separate  study. 

A  lot  sloping  down  to  the  rear  or  to  one  side  offers  a  place 
for  a  very  useful  basement  at  the  lower  point.  A  lot  sloping 
up  from  the  front  can  be  used  only  at  a  disadvantage. 

Surroundings  in  the  future  as  well  as  for  the  present  must 
be  considered. 

ECONOMY 

Economy  should  be  carefully  studied  so  that  the  money 
available  may  produce  the  best  results.  A  very  simple  building 
may  answer.  Yet  it  must  be  substantial,  not  cheap.  It  must 
be  a  worthy  building  with  nothing  wasted;  large  enough,  but 
not  too  large.  The  cost  of  future  maintenance  must  be  con- 
sidered. Quite  as  important  is  economy  of  service.  A  building 
carelessly  planned  that  requires  the  constant  service  of  four 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  3 

persons  is  extravagant  and  wasteful  if  better  results  can  be 
obtained  in  a  better  building  with  less  effort  by  the  service  of 
three.  And  there  will  be  no  relief  from  an  extravagance  of  this 
sort  because  the  additional  and  unnecessary  salary  will  run  on 
year  after  year. 

Care  must  also  be  taken  not  to  try  to  include  too  much  in 
one  building.  A  sum  that  would  be  ample  for  a  good  library 
may  not  be  enough  for  the  addition  of  a  lecture  hall,  a  museum,  • 
and  several  classrooms  which,  although  very  good  in  them- 
selves, may  not  be  in  such  constant  use  as  to  repay  an  outlay 
which  can  only  be  met  by  stinting  the  library.  If  the  addition 
of  these  other  features  is  in  any  way  a  detriment  to  the  library, 
a  true  economy  will  leave  them  out.  For  $5,000,  or  even  for 
$10,000,  more  than  one  good  room  on  the  main  floor  cannot  be 
expected.  But  one  large  room  will  be  far  better  than  three 
small  ones.  For  $10,000  some  rooms  in  the  basement  may  be 
added. 

PLANS 

In  preparing  plans  there  are  several  units  of  measurement, 
such  as  the  book,  the  shelf,  the  case,  the  table,  the  room,  and 
the  department;  while  the  money  in  hand,  the  income  expected, 
and  the  size,  shape,  and  location  of  the  chosen  site  are  also  essen- 
tial elements  in  the  calculation.  All  of  these  must  be  counted, 
measured,  and  considered  in  detail.  The  right  building  will  be 
planned  with  due  regard  for  all  the  conditions. 

GENERAL  CONDITIONS 

There  is  one  general  condition,  however,  that  is  always  and 
everywhere  present— the  fact  that  every  public  library  must, 
by  the  very  law  of  its  being,  be  continually  growing.  Like  a 
tree,  if  it  does  not  put  out  new  leaves  every  year,  it  is  dead. 
Hence  every  library  building  must  be  so  contrived  as  to  suit  j 
a  continual  process  of  expansion. 


4  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

The  rule  is  to  provide  space  within  the  walls  for  the  esti- 
mated growth  of  twenty  years  and  to  take  care  that  in  after 
years  expansion  may  be  secured  at  the  least  possible  cost  of 
money  and  convenience. 

BOOKS 

The  books  must  be  counted.  The  additions  of  past  years 
-  are  known  and  plans  for  the  future  are  being  made.  From 
these  a  certain  rate  of  successive  annual  additions  may  be 
fixed.  Experience  shows  that  actual  additions  to  a  living 
library  are  invariably  greater  than  those  expected.  Hence  any 
estimate  must  carry  a  liberal  margin.  All  additions,  however, 
do  not  represent  a  permanent  increase.  When  a  library  has 
been  in  operation  for  five  years  there  will  appear  many  worn- 
out,  superseded,  and  neglected  books  and  many  which,  for 
various  reasons,  are  not  worth  keeping.  The  removal  of  these 
becomes  imperative  it  the  library  is  to  be  kept  strong  and  fresh. 
The  difference  between  additions  and  removals  will  thus  deter- 
mine the  total  remainder  of  books  likely  to  require  shelf  room 
twenty  years  hence,  and  for  that  number  the  building  must  be 
planned. 

REQUIRED   CAPACITY 

An  estimate  of  the  book  capacity  required  must  take  account 
of  each  of  the  following  items: 

1.  The  present  number  of  books. 

2.  The  yearly  addition  of  books. 

3.  The  yearly  loss  and  removal  of  books. 

4.  The  proportion  of  books  of  a  size  larger  than  the  aver- 
age. 

5.  The  proportion  of  empty  spaces  needed  for  immediate 
placing  of  new  books  in  their  order. 

6.  The  proportion  of  empty  spaces  needed  for  convenient 
class  arrangement,  finding,  and  handling  of  books. 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  5 

7.  The  proportion  of  shelves  needed  for  special  uses,  such 
as  new  arrivals,  books  in  process  of  preparation  for  use,  books 
on  exhibition  or  reserve,  and  for  books  and  other  material  in  the 
office  and  work  rooms. 

The  difference  between  items  2  and  3  for  twenty  years  added 
to  the  present  number  will  furnish  an  estimate  of  the  total  num- 
ber of  volumes.  The  large  requirement  for  oversized  books 
and  empty  and  special  shelves  suggested  by  items  4,  5,  6,  and  7 
cannot  and  need  not  be  so  closely  reckoned,  but  may  be  reason- 
ably covered  by  a  general  rule.  The  unoccupied  margin  of 
shelf  space  needed  to  cover  these  four  items  will  be  none  too 
large  if  one-half  is  added  to  the  estimated  number  of  books. 
That  is,  a  library  of  5,000  books,  which  is  expected  to  grow  in 
twenty  years  to  be  15,000,  should  plan  for  a  building  large 
enough  to  hold  22,500.  If  for  any  cause  it  is  intended  to  limit 
the  growth  of  the  library  to  any  fixed  number,  then  that  limit, 
with  one-half  added,  will  give  the  required  book  capacity  of  the 
building. 

But  we  must  take  care  to  distinguish  between  full  capacity 
and  practical  capacity.  The  full  capacity  of  one  foot  of  shelv- 
ing is,  on  an  average,  in  a  public  library,  ten  books.  The  prac- 
tical capacity,  under  the  rule  given  above,  is  a  trifle  less  than 
seven  books.  We  may  therefore  have  a  more  simple  and  com- 
prehensive rule  if  we  say,  Determine  the  number  of  books  to  be 
expected  and  allow  one  foot  of  shelving  for  every  seven  books.  With 
this  allowance  every  item  will  be  provided  for  and  the  margin 
will  be  ample. 

In  some  special  libraries,  where  many  of  the  books  are  large, 
it  may  be  necessary  to  allow  only  six  books,  or  even  five,  to  the 
foot.  Such  cases  are  exceptional. 

THE   SHELF 

Having  determined  the  book  capacity,  it  is  necessary  to 
know  what  space  the  given  number  of  books  will  occupy  in 


6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

proper  arrangement.  For  this  purpose  we  must  study  the 
shelf. 

Size. — The  common  library  shelf  is  a  yard  long,  or  a  trifle 
less  if  three  feet  are  measured  from  center  to  center  of  uprights. 
If  the  shelf  is  longer  it  is  liable  to  bend  under  weight. 

^e  standard  snelf  space  is  ten  inches  high  and  eight  inches 
deep.  This  will  receive  all  books  of  octavo  size  or  less.  Indeed 
\lie  majority  of  books  used  for  public  circulation  would  stand 
in  a  lower  space,  but  it  is  better  to  have  some  room  to  spare 
than  to  crowd  out  the  oversized  book  too  often.  The  line  is 
drawn  at  the  height  of  ten  inches.  For  larger  books  a  space 
X/3."  of  12  inches  by  12,  or  a  still  higher  space,  should  be  provided 
at  the  bottom  of  the  case  or  in  special  cases. 

Shelves  of  standard  size  should  be  placed  in  sections  of 

rff'*     seven  shelves  each  so  that  the  highest  will  be  within  easy  reach. 

These  sections  placed  side  by  side  constitute  a  case,  and  cases 

may  either  be  set  against  the  wall  or  stand  free  on  the  open 

floor  to  hold  books  on  each  side. 

Material. — Shelves  may  be  of  wood  or  of  light  steel. 
Wooden  shelves  vary  greatly  in  appearance  and  cost.  They 
can  be  made  very  cheaply  of  pine  or,  at  a  greater  cost,  of  hard 
wood.  When  nicely  made  and  finished  oak  shelving  presents 
the  best  appearance. 

Steel  shelving,  on  account  of  its  structural  strength,  is 
necessary  in  large  book  stacks.  It  takes  a  little  less  space  than 
wood  and  is  more  open  to  the  light  and  air.  It  must  be  obtained 
in  fixed  patterns  from  the  makers  and  cannot  be  so  readily  fitted 
to  special  spaces  or  so  easily  altered  as  wood. 

As  between  wood  and  steel,  the  polished  wood  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred for  small  libraries  and  for  all  parts  of  large  libraries  where 
special  structural  strength  is  not  required.  The  cost  of  steel  is 
of  course  greater. 

The  risk  of  fire  will  not  be  seriously  affected  by  the  materia  I 
of  the  book  shelves.  A  fire  once  fairly  started  will  reach  the 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  7 

books  when  arranged  on  open  iron  shelves  quite  as  surely  as  if 
on  wood. 

Pattern. — The  manufactured  shelves  are  usually  made 
adjustable  to  allow  for  easy  changes  in  the  height  of  shelf  space, 
and  there  are  many  ingenious  devices  for  adjustment.  In  a 
reading-room  this  is  a  very  necessary  convenience,  as  it  is  in 
any  other  place  where  the  occasion  for  such  changes  is  likely  to 
appear.  But  there  are  also  many  large  collections  in  public 
circulating  libraries  in  which  the  books  are  so  nearly  of  uniform 
size  that  the  need  of  changing  a  shelf  is  almost  never  known. 
In  all  such  cases,  and  within  limits  carefully  considered  in  each 
particular  instance,  fixed  shelves  will  answer  every  purpose,  give 
more  strength,  and  save  expense. 

Capacity. — One  foot  of  shelf  space  is  long  enough  for  ten 
books  of  average  thickness  to  stand  side  by  side.  But  for  rea- 
sons already  stated  the  practical  capacity  of  each  foot,  under 
library  conditions,  is  seven  books.  As  each  bookcase  is  seven 
shelves  high,  each  running  foot  along  the  wall  will  provide  for 
about  50  books,  and  each  foot  in  a  free  standing  floor  case, 
having  two  sides,  will  answer  for  100  books.  These  even  num- 
bers enable  us  readily  to  determine  the  length  of  cases  needed 
for  any  given  number  of  volumes.  Thus  for  1,200  books  we 
shall  need  12  feet  in  a  floor  case  or  24  feet  in  one  along  the  wall, 
and  the  length  of  shelving  for  the  total  requirements  of  a  build- 
ing can  be  quickly  ascertained. 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  CASES 

Wall  cases. — The  best  place  in  which  to  read  or  select  a 
book  is  an  open,  square-cornered  room  with  cases  lining  the 
walls.  For  a  small  library  there  is  no  difficulty  in  securing  such 
a  room.  Even  in  a  large  library  there  will  be  some  rooms  like 
this.  Occasionally  a  library  is  planned  to  cover  the  walls  of 
one  room  and  no  more,  with  a  distinct  provision  that  when  the 
shelves  overflow,  as  they  will,  there  shall  be  a  storage  place  in 


8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

the  basement  to  which  the  least  worthy  material  shall  frequently 
be  sent.  In  such  a  library,  once  filled,  whenever  new  books  are 
added  an  equal  number  of  inferior  books  must  go  out,  and  con- 
sequently the  library  garden  is  subjected  to  a  persistent  process 
of  weeding  and  is  fresher  and  every  way  the  better  for  it.  Then 
the  books  left  behind  are  all  worth  while.  It  is  a  good  rule  to 
cling  to  the  open  room  as  long  as  possible. 

Alcoves. — But  with  the  rapid  increase  of  books  it  is  hard 
to  find  sufficient  space,  and  when,  in  spite  of  every  effort,  the 
library  passes  beyond  the  mark  of  5,000  books,  free  standing 
floor  cases  must  be  used.  These  floor  cases,  having  books  on 
both  sides,  add  greatly  to  the  book  capacity.  When  placed  at 
right  angles  to  the  wall  at  regular  intervals  of  ten  or  twelve  feet, 
they  make  up  a  system  of  alcoves  which  will  carry  almost  three 
times  the  number  of  books  which  can  be  placed  along  the  walls 
of  the  same  room.  Add  to  this  another  fact,  that  the  sheltering 
wings  of  the  alcove  with  a  table  in  its  center  offer  the  choicest 
place  for  quiet  study,  and  we  cannot  wonder  that  this  arrange- 
ment was  long  considered  the  ideal  one  for  the  large  and  growing 
library.  Elaborate  alcove  systems  were  planned  and  built. 
Most  of  our  colleges  adopted  the  plan,  and  the  Peabody  Library 
in  Baltimore  still  shows  five  stories  of  alcoves  surrounding  its 
great  cathedral  hall. 

The  stack. — But  libraries  continued  to  grow.  Books  mul- 
tiplied and  floor  space  could  not  be  found  for  more  of  these  open 
alcoves.  Tables  were  taken  out  and  intermediate  bookcases 
put  in  their  place.  It  seemed  more  important  to  keep  all  the 
books  together  than  to  keep  the  readers,  and  these  were  accord- 
ingly banished  to  another  room.  It  then  became  an  object  to 
put  the  largest  number  of  books  in  the  smallest  possible  space, 
leaving  only  the  necessary  passages  for  the  attendants.  This 
produced  the  book  stack.  Cases  were  set  in  parallel  rows  so 
close  together  that  there  was  barely  room  to  pass  between. 
They  were  drawn  away  from  the  side  walls  so  as  to  obtain  better 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  9 

light  from  frequent  windows.  They  were  extended  toward  the 
center  of  the  room  so  as  to  use  all  available  space.  And  then 
the  floors  were  "  stacked."  That  is,  they  were  placed  one  above 
another  in  one  compact,  cagelike  construction  of  steel  resting 
on  its  own  foundation  and  rising  to  three,  five,  seven,  and  even 
nine  stories  in  height.  One  story  is  generally  placed  below  the 
main  floor  in  order  that  in  the  first  three  stories  the  approach 
may  either  be  on  a  level  or  require  but  a  single  flight  of  stairs. 
A  fourth  story  would  then  be  level  with  the  second  story  of  the 
building. 

It  is  not  unusual  in  large  reference  libraries  to  place  the 
book  stack  immediately  beneath  the  reading  room,  requiring 
the  books  to  be  brought  up  by  lifts. 

In  a  true  "stack"  the  entire  weight  rests  on  the  stack 
foundation,  but  in  a  small  library  an  equivalent  arrangement 
may  be  obtained  by  placing  double-faced  cases  on  the  main 
floor  of  the  book  room  and  an  equal  number  of  cases  in  the  base- 
ment immediately  beneath,  leaving  a  space  between  cases  on 
the  main  floor  and  the  ceiling  in  which  a  third  tier  of  cases  can 
be  put  when  the  increase  of  books  requires  additional  room.  In 
a  two-story  building  the  same  process  can  be  repeated  on  the 
second  floor.  Such  an  arrangement  adapts  itself  to  the  growth 
of  the  library  and  has  obvious  advantages  where  the  conditions 
permit. 

Passages  between  cases  should  never  be  less  than  two  and 
a  half  feet  wide.    The  center  aisle,  if  any,  should  be  at  least 
three  feet  wide.    In  making  calculations  for  floor  space  it  is     4r 
most  convenient  to  measure  from  the  center  of  one  row  of  cases 
to  the  center  of  the  next.    Thus,  in  the  closest  stack,  the  cases      3 
will  stand  in  parallel  lines,  four  feet  apart  between  centers.    In 
more  open  stacks,  or  in  one  in  which  wider  shelves  are  used,  there 
maybe  four  and  a  half,  five,  or  five  and  a  half  feet  between  centers. 

Public  access  to  shelves. — The  importance  of  public  access  has 
led  to  changes  in  the  form  of  stack  arrangement,  chiefly  in  two 


io        MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

respects:  providing  wider  passages  and  direct  lines  of  approach. 
To  allow  free  passing,  the  aisles  must  be  three  and  a  half,  or 
better,  four  feet  wide.  For  direct  approach,  with  due  super- 
vision, the  cases  are  set  on  lines  running  back  from  the  delivery 
desk  so  that  light  is  obtained  from  the  rear  wall  only. 

Radial  lines. — Bookcases  are  sometimes  set  on  lines  radiating 
from  a  point  in  or  near  the  delivery  desk.  The  advantages  are : 
direct  access  to  any  given  point  with  consequent  saving  of  steps 
both  by  visitors  and  attendants,  direct  supervision  from  the 
desk,  and  ample  light  from  windows  in  a  semicircular  outer  wall. 
The  disadvantages  are:  a  waste  of  space  in  the  intervals  between 
the  cases  as  they  spread  outward,  the  greater  cost  of  building 
a  curving  wall  or  one  with  many  angles,  the  impossibility  of 
satisfactory  enlargement  to  the  rear,  and  the  unequal  width  of 
passages  at  different  points  between  the  cases.  Many  ingenious 
devices  have  been  used  to  reduce  such  difficulties  to  the  mini- 
mum. But  the  unequal  width  of  the  passage  remains  and  the 
narrowest  point  must  always  be  nearest  the  center  at  the  very 
place  where  the  current  of  those  who  meet  and  pass  is  naturally 
the  widest.  The  space  between  cases  at  this  point  should  never 
be  less  than  three  feet.  In  the  basement  or  on  the  floors  above 
the  first  the  radial  arrangement  presents  no  advantage. 

The  open  shelf  room. — A  library  may  have  so  many  books 
that  it  cannot  afford  space  in  which  to  allow  the  public  to  handle 
them  all.  In  that  case  it  may  select  a  considerable  number  of 
books  which  are  in  most  demand  and  place  them  in  an  "  open- 
shelf"  room.  This  may  be  entirely  separate  from  the  stack 
room,  or  it  may  be  the  main  floor  or  some  other  special  section 
of  the  stack.  Some  recent  libraries  are  trying  the  plan  of  an 
open  room  just  behind  the  delivery  desk  with  cases  along  the 
walls,  keeping  a  larger  collection  of  books  in  reserve  in  a  room 
immediately  beneath  which  can  be  entered  by  a  staircase  for 
attendants  only.  Such  an  arrangement  offers  many  obvious 
advantages  of  light,  convenience,  and  supervision.  A  real  serv- 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  n 

ice  is  rendered  by  thus  selecting  and  offering  on  open  shelves 
the  books  which  are  most  worth  while. 


DEPARTMENTS 


The  book  room. — While  every  room  in  a  library  will  have 
provision  for  books,  there  will  be  one  place  for  the  principal  col- 
lection containing  the  great  remainder  which  are  not  assigned  to 
reading-rooms,  office,  or  work  rooms.  This  central  place  we  call 
the  book  room,  and  in  very  many  instances  it  will  be  a  book 
stack.  The  required  capacity  of  a  book  room  will  therefore  be 
determined  by  deducting  from  the  estimated  total  capacity  of 
the  building  the  number  of  volumes  for  which  provision  has 
been  made  elsewhere.  This  capacity  should  be  settled  in 
advance  in  order  to  produce  an  intelligent  plan. 

With  this  definite  capacity  in  mind,  the  question  of  one  or 
more  stories  of  books  can  be  decided  and  a  proper  distribution 
made  showing  the  capacity  of  the  main  floor.  Cases  equal  to 
this  capacity  should  then  be  drawn  to  scale,  placed  at  proper 
intervals,  and  grouped  in  the  desired  shape  with  such  additions 
of  tables,  stairs,  lifts,  etc.,  as  to  present  a  complete  room.  At 
this  point  choice  will  be  made  between  parallel  and  radial  lines 
of  cases,  between  public  or  restricted  access,  as  to  the  location, 
size,  and  pattern  of  windows,  and  the  use  of  the  basement  space 
immediately  beneath. 

But  the  exact  proportions  of  the  room  will  be  subject  to 
modification  as  other  rooms  are  fitted  to  it  and  as  the  limitations 
of  the  building  lot  may  require.  The  book  room  is  the  heart 
of  the  library  with  which  every  other  feature  must  be  in  proper 
adjustment. 

Reading-rooms. — At  least  two  reading-rooms  or  reading 
spaces  are  desirable,  one  for  adults  and  one,  equally  large,  for 
children.  In  a  large  library  these  will  be  separate  rooms.  In 
a  small  library  they  may  be  in  one  room  with  a  dividing  line 
of  low  cases  or  a  hand  rail  marking  them  off  from  the  central 


12  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

passage  or  from  one  another.  The  absence  of  partitions  will 
add  greatly  to  the  largeness  of  effect  which  may  be  given  to  a 
comparatively  small  building  and  will  at  the  same  time,  by  the 
very  publicity  that  is  assured,  tend  to  prevent  disorderly  con- 
duct and  make  the  work  of  supervision  easier.  Each  reading- 
room  will  have  bookcases  on  the  walls  and  tables  on  the  floor. 
Small  tables  for  four  or  six  readers  each  are  preferred  to  long 
tables,  on  account  of  the  greater  degree  of  privacy  and  con- 
venience of  access.  But  long  tables  accommodate  a  larger 
number  in  a  given  space  and  are  therefore  indicated  for  small 
or  narrow  rooms.  The  ordinary  library  table  is  three  feet  wide 
and  five  or  six  feet  long.  A  space  five  feet  wide  on  every  side 
of  a  reading-table  should  be  kept  open  to  allow  for  chairs  and 
passing.  Tables  are  sometimes,  however,  set  close  to  the  side 
walls.  In  this  way  a  larger  number  of  readers  can  be  received 
in  a  given  room,  at  the  sacrifice  of  wall  space  for  books.  In 
such  cases  reference  books  are  kept  at  one  end  or  in  an  adjoin- 
ing room. 

The  delivery  room. — The  delivery  room  is  the  open  space 
or  vestibule  through  which  every  visitor  passes  on  his  way  to 
the  several  departments.  It  is  between  the  reading-rooms  and 
leads  directly  to  the  book  room,  so  that  both  reading-rooms  and 
books  are  to  a  certain  degree  under  the  supervision  of  the  desk 
attendant.  In  this  room  are  found  the  catalog  and  bulletins. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  secure  good  natural  light.  When  access 
to  the  books  is  not  permitted  it  becomes  a  waiting-room  and 
must  be  furnished  accordingly. 

Administration. — The  librarian  needs  an  office  and  a  quiet 
place  in  which  she  or  her  assistants  may  work  undisturbed. 
Such  places  will  usually  be  found  in  the  angles  after  the  larger 
rooms  of  the  library  have  been  fitted  together.  A  small  board 
of  trustees  will  find  a  convenient  meeting-place  in  the  librarian's 
office.  A  basement  room  is  often  convenient  for  work.  A 
place  should  be  provided  for  receiving  and  unpacking  boxes. 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  13 

Assembly  hall. — An  audience  room  may  be  quite  desirable 
in  a  public  library.  There  is  a  marked  tendency  among  small 
libraries  to  place  a  hall  of  this  sort  in  the  basements  where  there 
appears  to  be  abundant  room  for  it  without  much  additional 
expense.  But  such  a  room  requires  more  height  than  an  ordinary 
basement.  This  additional  height  is  rather  favored  by  the  archi- 
tect because  it  adds  to  the  outside  effect  of  the  building.  But 
when  the  main  floor  is  raised  there  must  be  a  longer  flight  of 
outside  steps  or  an  interior  stairway,  which  is  an  inconvenience  to 
everyone  coming  to  the  library.  This  stairway  must  also  be  shut 
in  between  partitions  which  tend  to  cramp  every  room  on  the 
main  floor.  Unless  the  hall  is  used  with  uncommon  frequency  the 
constant  climbing  of  the  stairs,  the  lost  effect  of  the  main  floor, 
and  the  sacrifice  of  space  beneath  the  book  room  needed  for 
books  are  a  large  price  to  pay  for  it.  On  the  other  hand,  if  there 
were  no  interior  stairway  and  no  partitions,  the  two  open 
reading-rooms  with  the  passage  between  could  be  readily  made 
into  a  hall  on  occasion  by  simply  pushing  back  the  tables  and 
bringing  in  chairs.  A  good  hall  upon  the  second  floor  may  be 
of  great  use  in  a  community  which  will  appreciate  and  use  it. 

Public  conveniences. — Every  library  should  provide  for  the 
personal  comfort  and  convenience  of  members  of  its  staff,  and 
in  a  large  library  it  may  be  found  best  to  include  cloak  and 
toilet  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  public.  But  a  small  library  is 
not  under  obligation  to  supply  these  conveniences,  which  involve 
considerable  expense  both  in  their  first  cost  and  for  needed  care 
and  supervision.  A  library  should  not  be  regarded  as  a  public 
waiting-room. 

LIGHT 

Good  light,  both  natural  and  artificial,  should  be  secured  as 
far  as  possible  for  every  part  of  every  room.  Windows  with 
clear  glass  should  be  frequent  and  extend  well  up  toward  the 
ceiling  with  square  tops  so  as  to  light  the  remote  parts  of  a  room. 


14  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Light  will  not  penetrate  to  advantage  more  than  30  feet.  Ceil- 
ings and  walls  should  be  finished  in  colors  which  reflect  rather 
than  absorb  light.  In  reading-rooms  it  is  admissible  to  have 
high  windows  on  the  side  or  rear  walls;  that  is,  the  sills  may  be 
seven  or  eight  feet  above  the  floor  so  as  to  allow  an  unbroken 
line  of  bookcases  to  pass  beneath.  But  at  the  front  such  high 
windows,  presenting  a  blank  wall  beneath,  are  an  injury  to  the 
outside  appearance.  For  inside  rooms,  especially  in  large  build- 
ings, interior  courts  may  be  introduced  and  overhead  light  must 
often  be  obtained  from  clerestory  windows  and  skylights.  The 
latter  must  be  made  secure  against  the  weather.  Windows 
that  slide  are  more  satisfactory  than  those  which  swing  or  turn 
on  pivots. 

In  some  recent  buildings  which  require  unusual  capacity  for 
storage  the  attempt  to  obtain  natural  light  in  the  book  stack 
has  been  frankly  abandoned.  The  stack  then  becomes  a  vault 
without  windows,  depending  on  electric  light  by  day  as  well  as 
by  night.  The  ventilation  is  also  artificial.  In  this  way  a  vast 
accumulation  of  books  is  compactly  and  securely  housed  and  is 
at  the  same  time  easily*  accessible.  The  closed  court  of  the 
Library  of  Congress  and  the  enormous  stack  beneath  the 
reading-room  of  the  New  York  State  Library  at  Albany  are 
examples. 

For  artificial  light  incandescent  electric  lamps  are  better 
than  gas,  not  only  because  they  are  safer  and  can  be  readily 
carried  to  any  point  by  a  wire,  but  also  because  the  fumes  of 
gas  will  taint  the  air  and  injure  the  books.  Each  room  hi  use 
should  have  diffused  light  from  above  with  smaller  shaded 
lights  on  or  directly  above  each  table  and  section  of  shelving. 
Indirect  lighting  is  well  adapted  to  library  rooms. 


HEAT 


Heat  from  hot-water  pipes  and  radiators  is  the  most  satis- 
factory.   If  pipes  are  arranged  behind  the  bookcases  at  any 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  15 

point,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  protect  the  latter  from  the 
risk  of  fire.  Radiators  will  naturally  be  placed  in  front  of  the 
windows  where  the  exposure  to  cold  is  greatest. 

STAIRS 

The  location  of  stairways  is  a  special  problem  for  the  archi- 
tect. They  must  be  so  placed  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  clear 
open  entrance  used  by  the  chief  patrons  of  the  library.  They 
must  not  be  crowded  into  insufficient  space.  The  rise  and 
tread  of  each  step  must  be  so  calculated  as  to  make  ascent 
easy  for  old  and  young.  Spiral  staircases  are  inconvenient  and 
unsafe  and  should  be  avoided. 

SHAPE   OF   BUILDING 

Square. — A  very  small  library  may  be  accommodated  in  a 
square  room  with  bookcases  along  the  walls  and  one  or  two 
tables  in  the  center.  But  as  the  number  of  patrons  increases 
there  will  be  danger  of  annoyance  to  readers  by  reason  of  others 
passing  back  and  forth  in  front  of  the  shelves. 

Oblong. — A  somewhat  larger  room  with  a  front  twice  as 
long  as  the  depth  is  a  decided  gain.  One  end  of  the  room  may 
then  be  reserved  for  readers,  while  the  books  chiefly  wanted  for 
circulation  will  be  found  on  the  other  side  and  patrons  entering 
at  the  center  will  go  to  right  or  left  according  as  they  wish  to 
read  or  to  borrow.  In  this  way  disturbance  will  be  avoided. 
The  library  will  have  two  departments. 

Trefoil. — The  next  step  is  to  add  a  third  department  at  the 
rear,  using  it  for  books  because  it  is  central,  while  the  two  wings 
of  the  original  room  are  two  reading-rooms,  one  for  adults  and 
one  for  children.  This  gives  us  the  trefoil  rudimentary  scheme 
upon  which  circulating  libraries  are  commonly  planned.  While 
the  library  is  small  there  is  no  need  of  any  partition  to  separate 
the  departments.  The  best  effect  and  the  best  supervision  are 
secured  by  one  large  room.  A  few  columns  may  be  used  for 


1 6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

needed  support  of  the  roof  or  of  the  floor  above.  By  filling  out 
the  angles  between  the  book  room  and  the  reading-rooms  place 
will  be  found  for  the  librarian's  office  and  cataloging  room  and 
perhaps  for  a  small  reference  room  or  study.  This  will  give  a 
rectangular  shape  to  the  building. 

T-form. — For  a  larger  library  of  the  same  general  form,  but 
with  larger  rooms,  partitions  may  become  necessary.  But  in 
such  a  library  there  will  be  more  assistants,  so  that  each  room 
will  be  independent  of  the  others.  In  this  case  the  limits  of 
light  will  forbid  the  filling  up  of  the  open  angles  and  the  pro- 
jection of  the  book  room  may  continue  for  some  distance  to  the 
rear. 

Hollow  square. — For  a  library  still  larger,  instead  of  one 
extension  to  the  rear  there  will  be  two,  and,  instead  of  going 
out  from  the  center,  one  of  the  two  may  be  joined  to  each  of 
the  extreme  ends,  one  behind  each  reading-room,  leaving  an 
interior  court  at  the  center.  Being  sufficiently  prolonged,  they 
may  be  joined  again  across  the  back,  resulting  in  a  large  square 
building  on  four  sides  of  an  inner  court. 

The  New  York  Public  Library  has  two  such  interior  courts 
and  the  Library  of  Congress  had  formerly  four  interior  courts. 

PREPARING  FOR  THE  ARCHITECT 

1.  Study  the  conditions  and  be  sure  of  what  you  want. 

2.  Consult  the  state  library  commission  or  some  experienced 
librarian. 

3.  Visit  libraries  similar  to  your  own. 

4.  Draw,  to  scale  if  possible,  an  outline  group  of  the  rooms 
that  seem  desirable. 

5.  Having  heard  of  several  architects  during  your  consulta- 
tions and  visits  and  having  received  overtures,  perhaps,  from 
more  than  one,  choose  one  whose  reputation  and  work  strike 
you  most  favorably.    Do  not  be  influenced  by  importunity  or 
favor. 


THE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  17 

You  will  want  a  man  of  good  judgment,  who  is  willing  to 
listen  and  to  take  the  library  point  of  view;  one  who  is  not  so 
ambitious  for  artistic  success  that  he  is  willing  to  overlook 
library  needs;  one  whom  you  can  trust. 

6.  Before  accepting  any  plan  refer  it  to  your  library  com- 
mission or  to  some  good  librarian  for  revision  and  find  out,  as 
nearly  as  you  can,  what  it  will  cost.  Then  allow  a  margin  of 
10  to  12  per  cent  for  expenses,  furnishings,  etc.,  not  included 
in  the  contract.  It  will  be  little  short  of  disaster,  if,  after  you 
have  begun  to  build,  you  find  yourselves  compelled  to  be  cut- 
ting out  here  and  there  in  order  to  bring  the  cost  within  the 
fixed  limit  or  else  to  incur  debt. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Art  Metal  Construction  Co.,  Jamestown,  N.Y.  Planning  the  library 
for  protection  and  service.  47  p.  n.d.  $1.00. 

Bostwick,  A.  E.  The  American  public  library.  N.Y.  Appleton, 
1917.  Pp.  270-302.  Chapter  on  "The  library  building." 

Carnegie  Corporation  of  New  York.  Notes  on  the  erection  of  library 
buildings.  4  p. 

Chandler,  Alice  C.  The  country  library  versus  the  donor  and  the 
architect.  12  p.  Mass.  Lib.  Commission,  Boston,  1915. 

Hunt,  Clara  W.  Brooklyn  opens  the  first  children's  branch. 
Library  journal,  October,  1914,  39:761-62. 

Marvin,  Cornelia.  Small  library  buildings.  102  p.  1908.  Ameri- 
can Library  Association,  78  East  Washington  St.,  Chicago. 
$1.25;  o.p. 

Contains  plans  with  exterior  and  interior  views  of  20  buildings.  Each 
plan  is  accompanied  by  name  of  architect,  statement  of  cost,  and  descriptive 
and  critical  notes.  The  editor's  notes  are  particularly  valuable.  A  general 
introduction  of  15  pages  treats  many  important  details  of  arrangement 
and  gives  a  full  description  and  typical  list  of  furniture  with  prices. 

Snead  &  Co.  Iron  Works,  Jersey  City.  Library  planning,  bookstacks 
and  shelving.  1915.  Pp.  103-20. 


i8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Soule,  C.  C.    How  to  plan  a  library  building  for  library  work.    403  p. 

1912.    Boston  Book  Co.    $2.50. 

The  most  complete  manual  of  the  subject. 
Wisconsin  Free  Library  Commission.    New  types  of  small  library 

buildings.     88  p.    Madison,  Wis.,  1913. 

The  annual  reports  of  municipal  public  library  systems  and  of 
state  library  commissions  often  contain  plans  and  pictures  with 
descriptive  notes  of  buildings.  For  plans  of  branch  buildings  under 
city  conditions  the  reports  of  the  New  York  Public  Library,  of  the 
Carnegie  Library  of  Pittsburgh,  and  of  the  Brooklyn  Public  Library 
may  be  consulted  to  advantage. 

The  files  of  the  "Library  journal"  and  of  "Public  libraries" 
contain  many  plans  and  descriptions,  with  useful  articles  from 
librarians  and  architects  on  different  phases  of  this  subject.  "Pub- 
lic libraries"  for  1898,  for  December,  1901,  and  for  the  year  1902  are 
specially  helpful.  The  Proceedings  of  the  Narragansett  Pier  confer- 
ence of  the  A.  L.  A.  printed  in  the  "Library  journal,"  for  1906,  contain 
an  instructive  symposium  on  the  subject  of  library  architecture. 


A.L.A.  Catalog,  1904-11,  I  : 

postpaid. 
Guide  to  reference  books.     Edi  ••- 

enlarged  edition.     By  I         re  G.   kludge.     Cloth. 
Cataloging  for  small  libraries.     83   Cheresa  Hitchler.  •• 

enlarged  edition.     Cloth 

Hints  to  small  libraries.  Plummer,     : 

Brief  guide  to  the  literature  of  Shakes? ear e      * 

Paper,  50  ceiv 
Subject  headings  for  use  in  dictionary  catalogs  of  juvenile  books. 

Mar,:-    :       ann.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

Ll      3     >]      FOREIGN    B      .     i 

Selected  list  of  Hungarian  books.  : 

Selected  list  of  German  books.     Pur 
List  of  French  books.     Paper,  25  ce; 
List  of  Norwegian  and  Danish  books.     Pa 
French  fiction.     Paper,  5  G< 
List  of  Swedish  books.     Paper 
List  of  Polish  books.     Paper,  25 
Selected  list  of  Russian  books. 
Recent  French  literature.     Pa; 

LIB;    .  •    .       :      VDBOOKg 

ttded  co  help  the  lib"    ians    )f       Liill     •  r 
del  library  work. 

1.  Essentials  in  library  administration.     K-     M        L     : 
Paper,  25  cents. 

5.  Binding  for  small  libraries.     F 

-d  by  the  A.L.A.  commit f>.  s  on  bo 

6.  Mendhig  and  repair  of  books.  B 

15  cc 

7.  U.S.  Government  documents  in  small  libraries.     By  J.  I, 

Paper,  15  cen 

8.  Kow  to  choose  edition*,     i  ;     Foster.  : 

9.  Normal  library  budget.     Ji;         ! 

10.  Manual  for  institution  libraries,  rrie  E 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 

LIE3ASY  SCHOOL  LIBEAIff 


LD  21-100m-7,'52(A2528sl6)476 


ETURN     LIBRARY  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

)*>          2  South  Hall  642-2253 


)AN  PERIOD  1 

27DAYS 

3 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 


DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


EB  1  0 


RM  NO.  DD  18,  45m  676 


BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


